1. Wheelock College
Bachelor of Science Degree
in Early Childhood Education
Information Session for Prospective Students
for Full Time BSc Program in Partnership with SIT
Singapore, October-November, 2012

2. Who We Are
Wheelock College
•Founded in 1888 with a mission to
improve the lives of children and
families
•US News and World Reports-
ranked Liberal Arts institution
•Specialists in Education, Teacher
Training and Social Work at
“W hear and read constantly of the
e
Bachelors and Masters level
greatness of this country of ours and all
our m agnificent institutions… On the •Located in Boston, MA, Wheelock
other hand, we are constantly rem inded is accredited by NEASC, oldest
of other issues yet to be confronted… accreditation body in US
The answer to all these questions as to
the future is to be found in the
kindergarten and [early childhood
education].”

3. What Sets Wheelock Apart
and by what we do:
•Prepare children-centered, family-
focused and community oriented teachers
•Tightly integrated curriculum explicitly
links theory and practice, emphasizing the
needs and strengths of diverse learners
•Focus on subject matter preparation and
pedagogic mastery
•Embed systematic research about
learning, teaching and school context into
Judge us by the company we keep: program of study
Alverno College
Bank Street College Linda Darling-Hammond
Trinity University Powerful Teacher Education (Jossey Bass, 2006)
University of California –Berkeley
University of Southern Maine
University of Virginia

4. “The W heelock program em
•Over 20 years of history and challenged us to think…M y
experience in Singapore W heelock experience keeps m e
grounded in m current work
y
•First Foreign Specialized Institution to with children and fam ilies, to
be partnered with a Singapore place their welfare at utm ost
Polytechnic to offer a baccalaureate priority and to enhance and
degree Cynthia Tan ‘09 advocate for the quality of life
for all children and fam ilies.”
•More than 3,000 alumni between BSc
and Master’s programs in country “The two years with W heelock
– Great networking were the B S years of education
ET
for m It taught m to reflect on
e. e
– Community of practice m yself as an educator and a
•Outstanding reputation person, and to reflect also on
internationally and in Singapore practices in the field so that I can
soar even higher. I cherish the
•Very successful graduates wonderful experiences shared with
Tan Yi En ‘10
m W
y heelock friends who I now
call fam ily.”

5. Singapore’s bright future and a
new day for early childhood
education
“Education is vital to the future of Singapore, to creating hope for
a better tomorrow and hope is essential to our future and to the
Singapore story…[we] need to improve the quality of our
preschool education. We now know how important the early
years are for children’s development…[G]ood preschool education
will prepare students to enter Primary One and it will provide
many long-term benefits later on in life.
I think we have to substantially raise the quality of preschool
education and …if you are going to raise standards considerably,
it is going to mean more resources, higher costs, you are going to
recruit more teachers, even better quality teachers, it is going to
cost money… So the government will invest substantial resources
in preschool education and play a more active role. From the Prime Minister’s
National Day Rally Speech,
The transformation will take some time but I am confident that in August, 2012
five to seven years, we will be able to see results.”

6. Why get a degree in
Early Childhood
Education?
Why now?
Why here?
• Good career prospects and future professional development
• Many ways to exercise creativity, both intellectual and
entrepreneurial
• Early Childhood Education in Singapore is a growth field with
serious resources and backing from the government
• Degree holders will be especially valued in the labor market
• Two great partners: SIT and Wheelock College-Singapore
– Diploma holders have advanced standing
– An overseas degree: advantages without cost of lengthy relocation

7. •Focus on:
– Special Education and Inclusion
– Early Childhood Leadership, Policy,
Management and Administration
•American-style teaching and learning:
– All classes are highly interactive, with
intensive group work, oral presentations,
reflection papers and field exercises
•Co-Instruction model bit.ly/Sjuh7x
– 6 and 8 week segments to most courses

8. A Rigorous Curriculum…
•2 years of full-time study, with 2 semesters running from early July
to early October, and from early January to mid-April
•21 courses; 81 credits
•Content is a balance between theory and practice, knowledge and
skills
•All classes are highly interactive, with intensive group work, oral
presentations, reflection papers and field exercises
•Classes are rigorous and demanding, but learners are fully supported
by faculty and staff in their studies, both within and outside the
classroom

9. And an International Perspective
•Culturally relevant program that addresses the needs of learners in
Singapore and globally
•30-hour Service Learning Requirement for graduation
– Increase opportunities for service learning abroad
•Five week summer immersion program at Wheelock in Boston at beginning
of Semester 3
– Take 3 courses on Boston campus
– Visit state of the art childcare centers supporting children with learning
challenges
– Study demonstration schools and dynamic environments
– Meet visionary entrepreneurs who have designed innovative products and
services
– Experience the cultural dynamism of one of America’s leading cities

10. What does it take to be a Wheelock Student?
•Whole student perspective: we consider not just test scores but
who the person is – we seek qualified candidates from diverse
backgrounds and who see themselves as creative agents of
change. We want you to Inspire a World of Good.
•Scholastic achievement with strong reading, writing, speaking
and mathematical competencies are important.
•A 2.3 (C+) cumulative grade-point average is the minimum
acceptable standard.

11. Key Dates for Class of 2015
• Application period begins February 1,
2013 and closes April 30, 2013
• Orientation: June 28, 2013
• First Day of Classes: July 01, 2013

12. For Further Enquiries
To find out more about how you
can become a Wheelock student
or if you have other questions,
contact Rajes, at 64606257 or via
email at kor@np.edu.sg. You can
also reach me at tcraig@wheelock.edu
and set up a time to visit.
We hope to see you.